• Reboot by Amy Tintera
• Released: April 30, 2013
• Publisher: HarperTeen 352 pages
• Source: Publisher ARC via Edelweiss
• Challenge: 150+ Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

Review:

The Story:

When she was twelve-years-old, Wren was shot in the chest three times. 178-minutes later, she “rebooted”, brought back to life thanks to a freak disease that plagues the nation. People reboot at different times, and the longer you are dead before rebooting, the less emotion and humanity you possess. To date, no one has been dead longer than Wren, which makes her the most dangerous living reboot. She’s less human, less emotional and she heals very quickly.

When Callum is brought in to HARK (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation), the place that employs “Reboots” to help patrol the streets and keep people safe, Wren wants nothing to do with him. Being a 22, Callum is practically human — he heals slow, his reflexes are slow and he feels too much. But, by some twist of fate, Wren picks Callum as her new recruit and she is now responsible for his training. When Callum refuses to carry out a kill order, HARK plans to kill him. Normally, this wouldn’t bother Wren, but there’s something about Callum that draws her to him, and she doesn’t want him to die. Now Wren will have to make a choice: Kill Callum, or help him escape, which means she will be running for her life as well.

The Execution:

I have to admit, that I picked this one up and put it down because I just couldn’t do another dystopian. At the time, I was officially recovering from dystopia burnout. (Look it up — it exists. Okay, maybe not…) A couple of weeks passed and I went ahead and picked it up again because I was finally in the mood for some good action and butt-kickery. I can honestly say I’m glad I gave it another chance. While the story does employ several plot points we’re used to seeing, it has a unique element to it that made it feel less familiar than most of the dystopian books I have read lately. First of all, I loved the idea of “rebooting”. I also liked that the reboots aren’t exactly the good guys, so the perspective felt fresh. The plot was a bit predictable, but in the end, I was okay with it. The pace is perfect and the writing was very good.

The Characters:

The story is told from Wren’s POV. She starts out hard and tough. When we first meet her she is on an assignment, taking people down. There is no doubt that she is strong, a bit dangerous and well-respected among the other reboots. Over the course of the story, we see her soften a bit as she somehow manages to regain some of her humanity. While this worked for the story, I have to say that I liked the bad-ass Wren better than I liked the love-sick Wren. The rest of the characters all serve a purpose, and I quite liked Callum. All in all, the characters are very strong and they didn’t feel overly familiar.

Final Verdict:

If you love your dystopian novels, this one is a must read. If you’ve read more dystopias than you can count in the last few months (as I have), you may want to put this on a shelf and pick it up when you’ve had a chance to cleanse the palette. It’s definitely worth reading and I will most certainly check out the next installment.

*Authors & Publishers may use all or part of this review for publicity purposes.*

Cover image courtesy of the publisher

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive payment of any kind in exchange for this review.

• The Chronicles of Egg: New Lands by Jeff Rodkey
• Released: May 2, 2013
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, 336 pages
• Source: Publisher provided copy

Review:

The Story:

It’s Egg and Guts again!  They’ve left Deadweather Island and are now on their way to New Lands.  With their treasure map in hand, they are in search of the Okahu tribe who hold the key.

But it’s never that easy.  Roger Pembroke is on Egg’s tail and they are about to meet all new enemies at New Lands.  They no doubt need help, but who can they trust?  There’s our new character Kira, the beautiful Okahu refugee.  There’s Millicent, Pembroke’s daughter, who has helped them before, but is she on their side or her father’s?  And, as we’re promised on the inside cover, the biggest question of all: What shocking secret is Egg about to discover in the shadow of an ancient Okahu temple?

The Execution:

This is a highly anticipated sequel.  When I finished the first book, I had high hopes for the second and it lived up to all my expectations.  It was a roller coaster – just as much as book 1.  It is action packed and full of surprises.  Nothing beats trying to guess what happens next and failing at every turn.  This is one of those books that has something for young adult and adult alike.  There is a sarcasm to Rodkey’s writing style that I truly enjoy.  One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that while there was plenty of action, there was not as much violence as I expected.  This book was a straight up, fun adventure.

The Characters:

Egg has more confidence and shows incredible smarts throughout this book.  He’s able to successfully maneuver out of every situation he gets into.  Guts is a well-known guitar player now who has learned every bad word in the Okahu language.  Millicent and our new girl Kira have an unspoken rivalry and we are forced to question Millicent’s loyalty.  I thought Rodkey did a wonderful job of writing about Millicent’s struggles to rectify her father the hero with her father the villain.  Kira is feisty and the object of Guts’ affection.

Final Verdict:

I loved it.  In fact, I loved it more than the first one.  Since I knew what to expect this time around and I was more familiar with Rodkey’s writing style, I knew I’d love it as long as he stayed true to the characters.  And he did and the characters were greeted in my mind like old friends.  The first book made me question the age of who should read it and if girls would even really go for it.  This book threw that question out the window.  It’s a great adventure and one I would recommend to boys and girls alike.

*Authors & Publishers may use all or part of this review for publicity purposes.*

Cover image courtesy of the publisher

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive payment of any kind in exchange for this review.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we highlight books we can’t wait to get our hands on.

This week’s pick is Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally. I really liked Catching Jordan and loved Things I Can’t Forget (I still have to read Stealing Parker). There’s just something about her books that make me feel good. I can’t wait for this one!

Goodreads blurb:

Author of Catching Jordan, Miranda Kenneally’s Racing Savannah, about an underprivileged girl training to be a jockey while working in the barn at a high-stakes horse farm whose on-again, off-again relationship with the owner’s son has an upstairs/downstairs effect on race day.

December 3 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire, Paperback

• Night School by C.J. Daugherty
• Released: May 21, 2013
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 400 pages
• Source: Publisher ARC
• Challenge: 150+ Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

Review:

The Story:

Ever since Allie’s brother left home, she’s been a bit out of control. Finally, after breaking into her school and spray painting a dirty word on her principal’s door, her parents have had enough. They immediately pack Allie up and drive her to a secluded private school called Cimmeria Academy. At first glance, Cimmeria is home to a bunch of snobs, but it doesn’t take Allie long to befriend another girl and capture the attention of Sylvain, one of the most sought after boys in school. But something seems off at Cimmeria. Allie hears footsteps on the roof, and she’s warned not to visit certain areas of the school after dark. These areas are reserved for those chosen for night school, but when Allie asks about it, she’s promptly shut down. To make matters worse, Allie believes someone may be sneaking into her room, and after a student is murdered, things take an even stranger turn. Allie is determined to figure out what is going on, but the more she presses, the more mysterious and dangerous things become.

The Execution:

I’m a sucker for a good mystery, and if it’s set in a posh boarding school with rich, snobby kids, even better. Throw in a secret society and I’m a goner. I had really high (maybe too high) hopes for this one. The first quarter of the book had me glued to the pages. Everything moved at a nice pace and then all of the sudden it seemed to stall out. After that, I felt like it kind of went in circles and eventually, I was so frustrated with the story, I didn’t care what happened; I just wanted some answers. When they finally came, they came in a rush. The danger of the who and what wasn’t exactly breathtaking and I was left with even more questions when the book ended. I know this is the first in a series, so questions and mysteries are expected. I was just hoping that I would get a little more payoff than I did. 

The Characters:

The characters are interesting enough, and several of them likable, but I didn’t feel there was anything overly special about any of them. I felt like I had met them before. They were very predictable, which I think added to the overall blandness (in my opinion) of the story. I didn’t hate them, but none of them really stood out as amazing. The most interesting one was Allie’s new friend, Jo. She was a little unhinged and unpredictable which made her the most interesting.

Final Verdict:

Despite a very promising premise, I found this one to be just okay. I think if the story had been tighter and shorter, and the tension increased, I would have liked it more. I am interested to see where this series goes, but I won’t be chomping at the proverbial bit to get my hands on the next book.

*Authors & Publishers may use all or part of this review for publicity purposes.*

Cover image courtesy of the publisher

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive payment of any kind in exchange for this review.

• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
• Released: April 30, 2013
• Publisher: Bloomsbury, 240 pages
• Source: Publisher ARC via NetGalley
• Challenge: 150+ Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

Review:

The Story:

Book two in the Lunar Chronicles introduces us to Scarlet, a fiery red-head from France. Scarlet lives on a farm with her grandmother, but recently, her grandmother has gone missing. As Scarlet searches for granny, she happens upon a wild street-fighter called Wolf. Wolf is big and tough, but something about him seems a little off. When Scarlet’s long-lost father shows up, claiming to have escaped a group of men brandishing a tattoo on their wrist, Scarlet believes these men may be the key to finding her grandmother. When she notices a similar tattoo on Wolf’s arm, she feels betrayed, and wonders if he befriended her in order to kidnap her, too. How safe is she with him?

Meanwhile, Cinder (from book one) has been incarcerated by Prince Kai and awaits her fate. She knows she is to be turned over to the Lunar Queen. Naturally, she escapes with the help of another inmate. Now, the two of them are the most wanted criminals on the planet, and as they search for answers on how to bring the Lunar Queen down, their paths will cross with Scarlet and Wolf, merging their stories together.

The Execution:

I have to admit I was kind of nervous going into this one. I LOVED Cinder, and I was afraid one of two things would happen: 1) We would only get a few glimpses of Cinder and Kai, or 2) The story would feel heavy and disjointed as it flipped back and forth between Cinder and Scarlet. Neither was the case. Ms. Meyer kept the story flowing at a nice, brisk pace and I didn’t feel cheated at all. I loved how she brought Scarlet and Cinder’s stories together. I also loved that the new story felt fresh, while keeping us up to date on all of our beloved (or loathed) characters from the first book. 

The Characters:

I loved that we got to see Cinder’s growth. She really grew in the first book, but I felt she really got a good handle on her true inner ass-kicker in this one. I also really liked the dynamic between her and Thorne — her new partner in crime. While the book primarily shifts between Scarlet and Cinder’s POV, we get a few glimpses into Prince Kai’s turmoil. He’s under a lot of pressure now, and he feels betrayed by Cinder. I thought that by adding this in, we got a lot more depth from the story as far as Cinder and Kai are concerned. Oh, and don’t forget Iko. Our beloved robot is back and as sweet and funny as ever.

There are a host of new characters, primarily the one the book is named for. While I liked Scarlet okay, she didn’t fully win me over. I felt she was a little too hotheaded. She yelled — A LOT. I got that she was frustrated and scared, but she needed to take a chill pill. I did appreciate her strength and determination, she just needed to take it down a notch.Wolf, on the other hand, was a great character and I can’t wait to see more of him.

Final Verdict:

While the book seemed to drag in a few spots, I still enjoyed this one very much. I loved the way Ms. Meyer brought the characters and their stories together. I definitely can’t wait for book two!

*Authors & Publishers may use all or part of this review for publicity purposes.*

Cover image courtesy of the publisher

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive payment of any kind in exchange for this review.

The Sunday Summary is a weekly event where we share with you a recap of all of our posts from the previous week, give you a glimpse at what you have to look forward to in the coming week, and show off the books we received through “Stacking the Shelves”.

I’d love to see your posts as well, so be sure to leave a link in the comments.

Now, let’s get on to the good stuff!

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. {Click Here} to read more about it.

This was a decent week for me. Thanks to Harper Collins and Random House for the review copies!

Purchased:

• Parallel by Lauren Miller (purchased Hardcover – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads
• Reboot by Amy Tintera (purchased Hardcover – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads
• What Once We Feared: a Forest of Hands & Teeth novella by Carrie Ryan (purchased eBook – ) Add on Goodreads
• Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (purchased Paperback – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads
• The Vampires: In Darkness We Must Abide part 5 by Rhiannon Frater (purchased eBook – Self Published) Add on Goodreads

From Publishers:

 

• Asylum by Madeleine Roux (eARC – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads
• Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith (ARC – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads
• Gated by Amy Christine Parker (eARC – Random House) Add on Goodreads
• Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (ARC – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads
• Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton (eARC – Harper Collins) Add on Goodreads

 

So, I got some exciting news this week. About a week ago, I pitched my YA horror book, Fingers in the Mist, to Month9Books. This last week I had a request for a full. Now, don’t get too excited, it doesn’t mean anything other than the synopsis interested them. They may hate it. Or, if I’m lucky, they will read it, love it and want to publish it. Their standard turnaround time is 6 – 8 weeks, so I’ll wait patiently.

• May New Release Giveaway Hop: Runs through May 31.
• Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop: Runs through May 22
• Waiting on Wednesday: Last week’s pick was Uninvited by Sophie Jordan.
• YA New Releases: A list of this weeks new releases.
• Books read: Finished listening to Reboot, read Wild Awake, Night School and Dare You To.

• Reviews of Scarlet, Night School, New Lands and Reboot
• Waiting on Wednesday
• YA New Release List
• Plan to read Over You, The Moon & More, The Testing and get caught up with Black City.

 
This is a pretty small week for new releases on the YA front. I only have one preorder, which is The Book of Broken Hearts. I hear it’s amazing.

What are you looking forward to this week?

• The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
• All I Need by Susan Colasanti
• September Girls by Bennett Madison
• Transparent by Natalie Whipple

• Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown
• The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos
• Dark Shore by Kevin Emerson
• Pitch by Emlyn Shand

• Absent by Katie Williams
• Time Riders: The Eternal War by Alex Scarrow
• Praefatio by Georgia McBride
• Night School by C.J. Daugherty

 
The books listed in this post were pulled based on Goodreads listed release date. Dates are subject to change.

• Five Summers by Una LaMarche
• Released: May 16, 2013
• Publisher: Razorbill, 384 pages
• Source: Publisher ARC
• Challenge: 150+ Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

Review:

The Story:

Jo, Emma, Maddie and Skyler (the JEMS as they refer to themselves) have been best “summer” friends for the last several years. The girls all live in different parts of the country and met during summer camp one year. They’ve been inseparable ever since. Each summer, the four of them have been able to pick right up where they left off, and every summer before they go home, the four of them perform a ritual meant to cement their bond. But then comes the last year of camp for the girls, and though they intend to keep in touch and remain close, life happens and they grow apart. But then comes the time for their camp reunion, right before the girls all go off to college. This summer, the girls will meet again after three years apart. Friendships will be rekindled, secrets will be revealed and their once solid bond will be tested.

The Execution:

While I never went to summer camp myself (I grew up in the country so pretty much every summer was like my own, personal summer camp), I do love a good book focusing on them. While this book was pretty predictable, I liked how it was formatted. The book goes back and forth between time and alternates between all of the characters. We see the girls as young women, about to go off to college, and we get to see them reunite after years apart, and we also get to see them as young girls as their friendships are forming. A story told in this fashion can sometimes be a bit jarring because it jumps around so much, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this one actually flowed pretty well for me. The only thing that really bothered me was that the dialogue between the girls when they were pre-teens felt very mature and unnatural.

The Characters:

This is a very character driven book, and Ms. LaMarche captures each of the character’s voices perfectly. Each of them were distinct, and matched the girl’s individual personality. While the characters each fell into a specific (and somewhat cliche) type (Jo is the tom boy, Skylar is the hottie, Emma is the smart one and Maddie is the sweet one), I still managed to connect with them. I think I was most touched by Maddie’s story. It was unexpected and I really felt for her.

Final Verdict:

Even though it’s a bit predictable and the characters aren’t wholly original, I still enjoyed this one. It’s a fun, light story that, to me, was surprisingly touching and left me with a smile on my face.

*Authors & Publishers may use all or part of this review for publicity purposes.*

Cover image courtesy of the publisher

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive payment of any kind in exchange for this review.

• All I Need by Susane Colasanti
• Released: May 21, 2013
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 240 pages
• Source: Publisher ARC 
• Challenge: 150+ Challenge

Review:

The Story:

Skye spends every summer with her parents at their beach house, and every year she hopes to find that one life-changing love. It never happens. At least, not until the summer Seth wanders into her parent’s end of the summer beach party. There’s an instant connection between the two of them, and they end up spending the next two days with each other. The night before Seth is set to leave for college, they agree to meet to say goodbye and exchange contact info. Skye shows up, but Seth doesn’t, leaving Skye to wonder if she’d been played.

A year passes, and all Skye and Seth can do is think about one another. Seth is sure Skye never got the note he left for her, and Skye wonders if she’ll see Seth again when she arrives at the beach house. She knows in her heart that Seth is the one for her, but does he feel the same?

The Execution:

 There’s something about a summer romance that I love (I know — SHOCKER!). I went into this one with very high hopes, and while I liked the story okay, I wanted a lot more depth. I liked how it began, and I liked the spark between Skye and Seth. While there was a definite case of insta-love here, I went with it, mainly because I knew from the synopsis that I was going to get just that. Where the story fell flat for me was in the execution. There are severe time jumps in the novel which left me feeling a bit disoriented. While I got what Ms. Colasanti was going for, it felt very jarring. The book covers the span of two years in a short amount of time, and I never felt I got enough time to “get” why Skye and Seth missed one another as much as they did. It was also very clear where the story was going, and there wasn’t as much tension as I would have liked.

The Characters:

The story is told from Seth and Skye’s alternating viewpoints. I liked seeing both sides of the story and I felt Ms. Colasanti captured their voices well. When it came down to it, I felt I knew Seth better. Maybe it was just because I was able to relate to him more. I liked Skye okay, I just never really connected with her. I liked her more from Seth’s viewpoint than I did when I was reading from hers. 

Final Verdict:

All I Need had a promising premise, but sadly, for me, it was just an okay read. It didn’t have that tug that I wanted, and I wasn’t left really feeling anything by the end. If you are looking for a light, summer romance I would recommend this one. Personally, I much preferred Michelle Dalton’s Sixteenth Summer which was released a couple of years ago. To me, it’s a better “summer love”, boy meets girl and they’re not sure if they’ll see one another again, type of romance.

*Authors & Publishers may use all or part of this review for publicity purposes.*

Cover image courtesy of the publisher

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive payment of any kind in exchange for this review.

The Love in Bloom giveaway hop is sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Portrait of a Book. The hop runs through midnight on May 22.

This giveaway is open internationally provided The Book Depository ships to you. you must be at least 14-years-old to enter, and if under eighteen, have your parent’s permission.

To enter you must subscribe to the blog either by Email (through MailChimp) or BlogLovin. You can gain one extra entry each by following us on Twitter, “liking” us on Facebook or tweeting about the giveaway. You can also gain one entry by commenting on one of our reviews. To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. Don’t forget to check out the other blogs on the hop as well!

This hop is all about romance, so I have a few for you to choose from. There will be ONE winner, and that winner can pick ONE of the following books:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway